The programme builds on the existing Welcome to Joburg campaign, which positions Johannesburg as an accessible year-round destination. In particular, the new initiative focuses on the first 72 hours of a visitor’s stay. It will also support shorter and longer itineraries.
Visitor numbers rise to five million
The initiative comes as Johannesburg’s tourism economy continues to show resilience despite geopolitical uncertainty and slower global growth. According to S&P Global data cited by the partners, domestic and international visitor numbers increased from 4.5 million in the 2024/25 season to five million in 2025/26.
Tourism activity generated more than $6.45 billion in revenue over the period. The figures underline the sector’s economic scale and the opportunity to convert more visitor interest into spending across local businesses.
David Frost, Chief Executive Officer of SATSA, described Johannesburg as an important cultural centre for South Africa. However, he said the city remains underrepresented in many travel itineraries despite its cultural, culinary, artistic and historical offer.
The partnership is therefore designed to close the gap between destination awareness and actual transactions. Rather than relying only on promotional campaigns, the partners want travellers to discover and book relevant experiences more easily.
Four pillars connect marketing with bookable products
The Welcome2Joburg Experience is structured around four main elements. First, the partners will develop ready-to-book itineraries for 72-hour stays, alongside products for shorter and longer visits. These packages will combine different local tourism experiences into clearer travel propositions.
Second, Joburg Tourism’s existing marketing channels will drive demand. Promotional activity will direct potential visitors towards bookable experiences rather than simply raising destination awareness.
Third, an interactive digital Experience Hub will connect consumers directly with local tourism products. The platform is intended to function as a booking gateway for experiences available across Johannesburg.
Finally, the programme will use visitor and booking data to improve the products offered. As a result, tourism businesses and destination managers can adjust packages based on traveller behaviour and demand patterns.
Programme targets wider distribution of tourism spending
The initiative also seeks to convert more visitors travelling to see friends and relatives into leisure customers. Johannesburg receives significant volumes of VFR travel, creating an opportunity to encourage those visitors to participate in paid tourism experiences during their stay.
Belu Mabandla of Joburg Tourism said the partnership represents a shift from building brand awareness towards generating measurable bookings. The programme also aims to spread visitor spending more widely across the city.
This geographic distribution is an important part of the strategy. By connecting travellers with a broader range of neighbourhoods, businesses and experiences, the partners want tourism expenditure to reach more parts of Johannesburg rather than remaining concentrated in established visitor areas.
Tourism businesses invited to join
The first phase will initially work with more than 500 accredited SATSA members. These tourism operators undergo annual compliance checks, giving the programme an established pool of businesses for its launch stage.
In the second phase, participation will expand to the wider Johannesburg tourism economy. Restaurants, accommodation providers, guides, cultural venues and activity operators will be able to join without a participation fee.
SATSA is inviting its members and local experience providers to submit products for inclusion. Meanwhile, the wider rollout is intended to build a more comprehensive inventory of bookable city experiences.
For Johannesburg tourism bookings, the partnership represents a move towards combining destination marketing, digital distribution and commercial conversion within one framework. By linking promotion with ready-to-purchase experiences and performance data, SATSA and Joburg Tourism aim to turn more visitor interest into direct economic activity across the city.
Tags: David Frost SATSA Johannesburg tourism
